Improvement in bed-bottoms



UNITED STATES PATENT GFFIGE.

-ROLAND BAKESTRAW, OF WYOMING, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,844, dated February1 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLAND BAKEsTRAw, of Wyoming, in the county ofPeoria and in the State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement inBed-Bottoms; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being h ad to the annexeddrawing making a part of this specification, in which like letters ofreference refer to like parts, and in which Figure 1 represents alongitudinal sectional elevation; Fig. 2, a plan; Fig.3, an end view.

This invention relates to the fastening of the ends of a bed-bottomhaving curved or bowed slats by means of the ends embracing rods incombination with cross-slats or bars arranged above and below the ends,and having a wire or cord'arranged to fasten the whole in such a manneras to allow the ends to have a yielding bearing, which, in connectionwith the arrlangement of two cross-slats provided with spiral springs,prevents the spring-slats from having a too rigid bearing at any onepoint,

thus obtaining a more equal distribution of the pressure in a bed-bottomformed of curved or bowed slats, as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained.

A A A represent three slats running lengthwise of the bed-bottom, andresting upon and fastened to transverse slats or bars a a a at each endof said bed-bottom. These slats are placed, respectively, at the outsideand at the center of the bottom. Upon the ends of these rests atransverse slat or rod, e e, which separates the upper and lower rangesof slats. At-

' tached, also transversely, to the slats A A A,

at equal distances apart and from the ends of the bottom, are two slats,d d, each carrying a row of spiral springs, ff, 850., one sprin g bein gplaced between each slat B B and the slats d d, and are fastenedsecurely at their bases by leather or metal strips nailed to thewoodwork, or by any other effective fastening. The

ends of the two ranges of slats A A A and B B are confined between theinclosing transverse end slats or bars a b. A bar or smaller slat orrod, 6 0, being inserted between them, the three bars are then fastenedtogether by a strong wire or cord, at, which passes at once through thesaid bars and the longitudinal slats B B B so as to keep each of thelatter slats at equal distances apart. Other fastenings may be usedwithout detriment to the elasticity of the frame; but I find the wire tobe the best. 0 0 represent the bedsteadframe.

The operation of this invention is as follows: When a weight is appliedto the surface of the upper slats, or to any of them, the slat gives orbends, transmitting apart of the strain (by means of the springs) to thecrossslats d at below, which, in turn, distribute the strain, or part ofit, to one or more of the yielding bowed slats A A A on which they rest.weight is-dist-ributed in increasing areas below the surface to whichthe same is applied, and very much unlike the rigid resisting forms ofthe common straight slats or lower supports of ordinary bed-bottoms.

What I claim as my invention is-- In a bed-bottom having curved or bowedslats A B, the combination of the rods 06 and cross-slats or bars a bhaving wire or cord 9?. arranged to fasten the ends together, inconnection' with the arrangement of the crossslats d d provided withspiral springs f, in the manner and for the purpose as herein shown andset forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing bed bottom I have hereunto setmy hand this 12th day of November, A. D. 1872.

ROLAND RAKESTRAW.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Scorn, S. F. OTMAN.

Thus the pressure of superincumbent'

